Exercise and training apparatus

Abstract

An exercise and training apparatus that includes a pair of interconnected diverging track sections, a pair of trucks for supporting the feet of a user and traveling along the track sections, and a latching mechanism operable for automatically and repetitively effecting alternating latching of a released truck and releasing of a latched truck as the released truck arrives proximate the apex of the apparatus. Each of the trucks is engageable with right and left rails on an associated track section via at least pulley-style road wheels and a pulley-style friction wheel on a right side wheel assembly and at least pulley-style road wheels and a pulley-style friction wheel on a left side wheel assembly.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An exercise and training apparatus, comprising:
 (a) a pair of interconnected track sections each having first and second longitudinal ends and right and left laterally spaced rails, and extending at a divergent angle relative to each other from the first longitudinal ends,   (b) a pair of trucks, each engageable with the right and left rails on an associated one of the pair of track sections for longitudinal reciprocating travel along the associated track section, with each truck including at least a right side wheel assembly, a left side wheel assembly, and a foot platform for supporting a foot of an exerciser atop the right and left wheel assemblies, and   (c) a latching mechanism operable for automatically and repetitively effecting alternating latching of a released truck and releasing of a latched truck as the released truck arrives at an exchange point along the longitudinal length of the associated track section.   
     
     
         2 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a means for biasing each truck towards the first longitudinal end of the associated track section. 
     
     
         3 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a pair of elastic cords, each in operable communication with an associated one of the trucks for biasing the associated truck towards the first longitudinal end of the associated track and providing resistance against longitudinal travel of the associated truck along the associated track section away from the first end. 
     
     
         4 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first longitudinal ends of the track sections converge at a junction and the apparatus further comprises an upright stanchion removably secured to the apparatus proximate the junction. 
     
     
         5 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a static platform releasably engageable with a side of one of the track sections for selective fixation of the static platform to the track section at a desired longitudinal location for designating a static foot placement position projecting laterally aside the track section for performing a cross-under training exercise. 
     
     
         6 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a heel locator projecting upward from each foot platform for providing a tactile indication of proper foot placement on the foot platform. 
     
     
         7 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the heel locator further provides physical guidance into proper foot placement on the foot platform and an upward projecting heel-engaging stop surface. 
     
     
         8 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the right side wheel assembly and the left side wheel assembly each include pulley wheels having peripheral grooves configured and arranged to accommodate the right side and left side rails within the peripheral grooves respectively. 
     
     
         9 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the right side wheel assembly and the left side wheel assembly are each limited to two road wheels, and at least one and no more than two side friction wheels, sans any up-stop wheels. 
     
     
         10 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein at least the side friction wheels are pulley wheels. 
     
     
         11 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each track section has a longitudinal length of 3 to 8 ft. 
     
     
         12 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each track section is linear and the track sections diverge at an orthogonal angle. 
     
     
         13 . An exercise and training apparatus, comprising:
 (a) a pair of interconnected track sections each having first and second longitudinal ends, right and left laterally spaced sides interconnected and extending upward from one or more cross members, an upwardly open T-slot extending along the longitudinal length of the track section intermediate the right and left sides of the track section upward from the one or more cross members, the track sections extending at a divergent angle relative to each other from the first longitudinal ends,   (b) a pair of trucks, each engageable with the right and left rails on an associated one of the pair of track sections for longitudinal reciprocating travel along the associated track section, with each truck including at least a right side wheel assembly, a left side wheel assembly, and a foot platform for supporting a foot of an exerciser atop the right and left wheel assemblies, and   (c) a latching mechanism operable for automatically and repetitively effecting alternating latching of a released truck and releasing of a latched truck as the released truck arrives at an exchange point along the longitudinal length of the associated track section.   
     
     
         14 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising a means for biasing each truck towards the first longitudinal end of the associated track section. 
     
     
         15 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising a pair of elastic cords, each in operable communication with an associated one of the trucks for biasing the associated truck towards the first longitudinal end of the associated track and providing resistance against longitudinal travel of the associated truck along the associated track section away from the first end. 
     
     
         16 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the first longitudinal ends of the track sections converge at a junction and the apparatus further comprises an upright stanchion removably secured to the apparatus proximate the junction. 
     
     
         17 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 13  further comprising a static platform releasably engageable with a side of one of the track sections for selective fixation of the static platform to the track section at a desired longitudinal location for designating a static foot placement position projecting laterally aside the track section for performing a cross-under training exercise. 
     
     
         18 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 13  further comprising a heel locator projecting upward from each platform for providing a tactile indication of proper foot placement on the platform. 
     
     
         19 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the heel locator further provides physical guidance into proper foot placement on the platform and an upward projecting heel-engaging stop surface. 
     
     
         20 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein each track section has a longitudinal length of 3 to 8 ft. 
     
     
         21 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein each track section is linear and the track sections diverge at an orthogonal angle. 
     
     
         22 . An exercise and training apparatus, comprising:
 (a) a pair of interconnected track sections each having first and second longitudinal ends, right and left laterally spaced sides, an upwardly open slot extending along the longitudinal length of the track section laterally outside each of the right and left sides of the track section, and extending at a divergent angle relative to each other from the first longitudinal ends,   (b) a pair of trucks, each engageable with the right and left rails on an associated one of the pair of track sections for longitudinal reciprocating travel along the associated track section, with each truck including at least a right side wheel assembly, a left side wheel assembly, and a foot platform for supporting a foot of an exerciser atop the right and left wheel assemblies, and   (c) a latching mechanism operable for automatically and repetitively effecting alternating latching of a released truck and releasing of a latched truck as the released truck arrives at an exchange point along the longitudinal length of the associated track section.   
     
     
         23 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 22 , further comprising a means for biasing each truck towards the first longitudinal end of the associated track section. 
     
     
         24 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 22 , further comprising a pair of elastic cords, each in operable communication with an associated one of the trucks for biasing the associated truck towards the first longitudinal end of the associated track and providing resistance against longitudinal travel of the associated truck along the associated track section away from the first end. 
     
     
         25 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the first longitudinal ends of the track sections converge at a junction and the apparatus further comprises an upright stanchion removably secured to the apparatus proximate the junction. 
     
     
         26 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 22  further comprising a static platform releasably engageable with a side of one of the track sections for selective fixation of the static platform to the track section at a desired longitudinal location for designating a static foot placement position projecting laterally aside the track section for performing a cross-under training exercise. 
     
     
         27 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 22  further comprising a heel locator projecting upward from each platform for providing a tactile indication of proper foot placement on the platform. 
     
     
         28 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 27  wherein the heel locator further provides physical guidance into proper foot placement on the platform and an upward projecting heel-engaging stop surface. 
     
     
         29 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein each track section has a longitudinal length of 3 to 8 ft. 
     
     
         30 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein each track section is linear and the track sections diverge at an orthogonal angle. 
     
     
         31 . An exercise and training apparatus, comprising:
 (a) a pair of interconnected track sections cooperatively defining a medial plane and each having first and second longitudinal ends, right and left laterally spaced sides and extending at a divergent angle relative to each other from the first longitudinal ends,   (b) a pair of trucks, each engageable with the right and left rails on an associated one of the pair of track sections for longitudinal reciprocating travel along the associated track section, with each truck including at least a right side wheel assembly, a left side wheel assembly, and a foot platform for supporting a foot of an exerciser atop the right and left wheel assemblies,   (c) a pair of raised platforms, each secured atop a respective foot platform and having an uppermost supporting surface having a downward lateral angle towards the medial plane defined by the interconnected track sections for supporting the foot of an exerciser at an everted angle, and   (d) a latching mechanism operable for automatically and repetitively effecting alternating latching of a released truck and releasing of a latched truck as the released truck arrives at an exchange point along the longitudinal length of the associated track section.   
     
     
         32 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 31 , further comprising a means for biasing each truck towards the first longitudinal end of the associated track section. 
     
     
         33 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 31 , further comprising a pair of elastic cords, each in operable communication with an associated one of the trucks for biasing the associated truck towards the first longitudinal end of the associated track and providing resistance against longitudinal travel of the associated truck along the associated track section away from the first end. 
     
     
         34 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the first longitudinal ends of the track sections converge at a junction and the apparatus further comprises an upright stanchion removably secured to the apparatus proximate the junction. 
     
     
         35 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 31  further comprising a static platform releasably engageable with a side of one of the track sections for selective fixation of the static platform to the track section at a desired longitudinal location for designating a static foot placement position projecting laterally aside the track section for performing a cross-under training exercise. 
     
     
         36 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 31  further comprising a heel locator projecting upward from each platform for providing a tactile indication of proper foot placement on the platform. 
     
     
         37 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 36  wherein the heel locator further provides physical guidance into proper foot placement on the platform and an upward projecting heel-engaging stop surface. 
     
     
         38 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein each raised platform is selectively attachable and detachable to the foot platform prior to each workout on the apparatus. 
     
     
         39 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein each track section has a longitudinal length of 3 to 8 ft. 
     
     
         40 . The exercise and training apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein each track section is linear and the track sections diverge at an orthogonal angle.